Canadian Music Copyright Reform

Steven Page was quoted today by canada.com:

We, as Canadian music creators, have identified three simple principles that should guide copyright reform and cultural policy.- First, we believe that suing our fans is destructive and hypocritical. We do not want to sue music fans, and we do not want to distort the law to coerce fans into conforming to a rigid digital market artificially constructed by the major labels.

– Second, we believe that the use of digital locks, frequently referred to as technological protection measures, are risky and counterproductive. We do not support using digital locks to increase the labels’ control over the distribution, use and enjoyment of music, nor do we support laws that prohibit circumvention of such technological measures, including Canadian accession to the World Intellectual Property Organization’s Internet Treaties. These treaties are designed to give control to major labels and take choices away from artists and consumers. Laws should protect artists and consumers, not restrictive technologies.

– Third, we strongly believe that cultural policy should support actual Canadian artists. We call on the Canadian government to firmly commit to programs that support Canadian music talent. The government should make a long-term commitment to grow support mechanisms such as the Canada Music Fund and FACTOR, invest in music training and education, create limited tax shelters for copyright royalties, protect artists from inequalities in bargaining power and make collecting societies more transparent.
This is a good step if it gets listened to. I really like the second part of the statement that talks about DRM and trying to ensure that control stays with the artist (the labels are then going to cry “but, but, we take ALL the risk!”). This is going to become increasingly important for web2.0 as people are going to put an increasing amount of content online, none of which has been put through a holding company.

The third also makes sense, it would be amazing if all the blank media tax actually went into education programs for kids and others, but unless there is someway for the provinces to pick up a portion of that money and tag it for music/arts education.